I found this 10-episode Japanese TV series on Netflix, where its English title was changed from Old Rookie to the inexplicable The Old Dog, New Tricks? Perhaps Netflix added the question mark to the title to let us know that they didn’t really know what to do with the show. That’s a shame. It deserves better promotion than that. Old Rookie is like Jerry Maguire if Tom Cruise were Japanese, an ex-pro athlete, and cried a lot.
The Story
In the story, Ryo Shinmachi (Go Ayano) is a pro footballer at the end of his playing career. He had a few appearances with Japan’s National Team, and played in the J-League, but after an injury, he fell to the 2nd division and then to the 3rd division. His 3rd division team suddenly goes bankrupt, and at 37 years old, Shinmachi needs to find a job fast. He has a homemaker wife and 2 little girls. He is offered an entry-level contract position at Victory, a sports management company, and is grateful for the opportunity.
Over the 10 episodes, we get an idea of the business of sports management in a small Japanese company. Kind of like in The Gentlemen’s League, all of the athletes that Ryo deals with are either on the niche side: volleyball, fencing, swimming, marathon, skateboarding, wheelchair tennis; or they are in the 2nd divisions of baseball, basketball, and soccer. Some athletes need sponsors to help fund their dream of making the 2024 Paris Olympics. Some need to deal with injuries, doping scandals, or face the reality that they just aren’t going to make it to the top.
Victory president Takayanagi (an incredibly handsome Takashi Sorimachi) only seems to see an athlete as a revenue stream and is pretty quick to consider terminating an unproductive athlete’s contract with the agency. But because Shinmachi is a former pro athlete, he brings a different vibe to the company and insists on upholding their motto of “Respecting Every Athlete” and fulfilling their dreams. His own experiences with injuries and disappointments help him help his clients.
Shinmachi is the center of the series, but from him radiate many side stories. He tries to learn about many of the sports he encounters, and it appears that the series uses real athletes in many scenes. His wife Kanako (Nana Eikura) is supportive. As a former popular newscaster turned homemaker, she builds a second career as a food influencer. Her lovingly-crafted homemade bentos become a trendy cookbook (which apparently you can actually buy). And the Shinmachis have 2 daughters, the younger of which is Meisa (Rana Izutani), an incredibly kawai 4-5 year old whose performance reminds me of Haley Joel Osment.
The Culture
I’ve only watched a few Japanese series, and I enjoy them to get a sense of modern Japanese culture and life. I have no idea if Old Rookie accurately represents the operation of a Japanese sports management company. It’s interesting to see respect and hierarchy dominate a work office culture, compared to uh, California. Shinmachi’s steadfast character transforms the Victory office from individual workers into a passionate friendly team (but still extremely respectful and disciplined). Could that really happen in Japan, or indeed, anywhere?
The other striking thing about the show is how good-looking everyone is — except for Shinmachi. I never understood why he is always dressed in ill-fitting suits and with a pretty bad haircut. Footballers around the world are pretty careful about their looks, so I found it distracting.
And speaking of good-looking, it was interesting to see Taishi Nakagawa in the cast as Jo, Shinmachi’s co-worker. I had seen the handsome Taishi Nakagawa in another TBS series on Netflix, Eye Love You. But, it seems that he never really gets the girl…
In Conclusion
I enjoyed the Old Rookie series for its take on sports management in a very civilized society, and its portrayal of a Japanese work environment. Other than the sports themselves which feel so authentic, I am unsure how much the series depicts real life. Would a former newscaster really be happy making bentos? But the elements of each episode are quite detailed, so it is easy to get immersed in the stories. I would have preferred a little less male crying, though. 🥲
7 Soccer Movie Mom Rating = 7
Resources:
- Released: 2022-06-26 (Japan TBS television)
- Japanese title is オールドルーキー, or Old Rookie
- I watched this on Netflix, where the English title is The Old Dog, New Tricks?
- Note that Netflix has a Spanish TV series with almost the same title: Old Dog, New Tricks
- In Japanese with English sub-titles
- 10 episodes for a total of 493 mins = 8 hrs 13 mins
- IMDB
- Asian WIKI and Japanese Wiki
- Directors: Yasuharu Ishii, Hisashi Kimura, Yoshihiro Ito
- Stars: Go Ayano (綾野剛) as Ryo Shinmachi ,
- Nana Eikura (榮倉奈々) as Ryo’s wife Kanako Shinmachi ,
- Takashi Sorimachi (反町隆史) as Victory President Takayanagi
- TBS website (Tokyo Broadcast System)
- Netflix webpage
- Watch the Trailer in Japanese
- Old Rookie on Instagram
